Beijing, July 29: Authorities in Beijing have launched all-out disaster relief and rescue operations after a fresh spell of intense rainstorms left 30 people dead, damaging roads, disrupting power supply, and prompting mass evacuation.
The deaths occurred in Beijing’s northern mountainous districts, with 28 in Miyun and two in Yanqing, according to local authorities.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday ordered all-out efforts to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property in the fight against rain-triggered floods and geological disasters affecting some parts of China.
Xi said all-out search and rescue must be conducted for those missing or trapped, and residents in flood-threatened areas must be promptly relocated and resettled to minimise casualties.
Across Beijing alone, more than 80,000 people have been relocated, while the rainstorms damaged 31 road sections and disrupted the power supply in 136 villages, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
“Heavy rain started to hit on Saturday night, flooding some homes in the town,” said Cui Di, deputy chief of Shicheng Township in the hardest-hit Miyun.
He said local authorities have also prepared essential supplies, including mattresses, blankets, bread, and eggs, for the displaced residents.
China’s Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Tuesday allocated 350 million yuan (USD 48.94 million) in central government disaster relief funds to nine provincial-level regions, including Beijing, which were affected by floods.
The funds will prioritise emergency rescue operations and disaster relief for affected residents in these regions.
Also on Tuesday, China’s National Development and Reform Commission said that it had allocated 200 million yuan (USD 28 million) to assist disaster relief efforts in Beijing, the Xinhua report said.
In recent days, extreme and severe convective weather, brought by warm, moist air from the edge of the subtropical high, has occurred in Miyun and other areas of Beijing. Torrential rains have also hit regions near Beijing.
On Monday, heavy rains and flooding killed four people, with eight others still missing in China’s Hebei province.
Last night, the Beijing municipal flood control headquarters activated the highest level of its citywide flood control emergency response mechanism.
Authorities have warned the public to stay away from sections of the fast-flowing rivers.
Due to continuous heavy rainfall, railway authorities on Tuesday temporarily suspended some trains on the Beijing-Harbin high-speed railway. (PTI)
